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Ready for to arrest you of high treason。
LADY MORE AND DAUGHTERS。
Oh； God； oh； God！
ROPER。
Be patient； good madam。
MORE。
Aye； Downs； ist thou？ I once did save thy life；
When else by cruel riotous assault
Thou hadst been torn in pieces： thou art reserved
To be my summoner to yond spiritual court。
Give me thy hand； good fellow； smooth thy face：
The diet that thou drinkst is spic'd with mace；
And I could ne'er abide it； 'twill not disgest；
Twill lie too heavily； man； on my weak breast。
SHREWSBURY。
Be brief； my lord； for we are limited
Unto an hour。
MORE。
Unto an hour！ tis well：
The bell soon shall toll my knell。
LADY MORE。
Dear loving husband； if you respect not me；
Yet think upon your daughters。
＇Kneeling。＇
MORE。
Wife； stand up； I have bethought me；
And I'll now satisfy the king's good pleasure。
＇Pointing to himself。＇
BOTH DAUGHTERS。
Oh； happy alteration！
SHREWSBURY。
Come； then； subscribe； my lord。
SURREY。
I am right glad of this your fair conversion。
MORE。
Oh； pardon me！
I will subscribe to go unto the Tower
With all submissive willingness； and thereto add
My bones to strengthen the foundation
Of Julius Caesar's palace。 Now； my lord；
I'll satisfy the king； even with my blood；
Now will I wrong your patience。Friend； do thine office。
DOWNES。
Sir thomas More； Lord Chancellor of England； I arrest you in the
king's name of high treason。
MORE。
Gramercies； friend。
To a great prison； to discharge the strife
Commenc'd twixt conscience and my frailer life；
More now must march。 Chelsea； adieu； adieu！
Strange farewell！ thou shalt ne'er more see More true；
For I shall ne'er see thee more。Servants； farewell。
Wife； mar not thine indifferent face； be wise：
More's widow's husband； he must make thee rise。
Daughters。。。。： what's here； what's here？
Mine eye had almost parted with a tear。
Dear son； possess my virtue； that I ne'er gave。
Grave More thus lightly walks to a quick grave。
ROPER。
Curae leves loquuntur； ingentes stupent。
MORE。
You that way in； mind you my course in prayer：
By water I to prison； to heaven through air。
＇Exeunt。＇
ACT V。
SCENE I。 The Tower Gate。
＇Enter the Warders of the Tower； with halbards。＇
FIRST WARDER。
Ho； make a guard there！
SECOND WARDER。
Master Lieutenant gives a straight command；
The people be avoided from the bridge。
THIRD WARDER。
From whence is he committed； who can tell？
FIRST WARDER。
From Durham House； I hear。
SECOND WARDER。
The guard were waiting there are hour ago。
THIRD WARDER。
If he stay long； he'll not get near the wharf；
There's such a crowd of boats upon the Thames。
SECOND WARDER。
Well； be it spoken without offence to any；
A wiser or more virtuous gentleman
Was never bred in England。
THIRD WARDER。
I think； the poor will bury him in tears：
I never heard a man； since I was born；
So generally bewailed of every one。
＇Enter a Poor Woman。＇
What means this woman？Whether doost thou press？
FIRST WARDER。
This woman will be trod to death anon。
SECOND WARDER。
What makest thou here？
WOMAN。
To speak with that good man； Sir Thomas More。
SECOND WARDER。
To speak with him！ he's not Lord Chancellor。
WOMAN。
The more's the pity； sir； if it pleased God。
SECOND WARDER。
Therefore； if thou hast a petition to deliver；
Thou mayst keep it now； for any thing I know。
WOMAN。
I am a poor woman； and have had （God knows）
A suit this two year in the Chancery；
And he hath all the evidence I have
Which should I lose； I am utterly undone。
SECOND WARDER。
Faith； and I fear thoult hardly come by am now；
I am sorry for thee； even with all my heart。
＇Enter the Lords with Sir Thomas More； and Attendants； and enter
Lieutenant and Gentleman Porter。＇
Woman； stand back； you must avoid this place；
The lords must pass this way into the Tower。
MORE。
I thank your lordships for your pains thus far
To my strong house。
WOMAN。
Now； good Sir Thomas More； for Christ's dear sake；
Deliver me my writings back again
That do concern my title。
MORE。
What； my old client； are thou got hither too？
Poor silly wretch； I must confess indeed；
I had such writings as concern thee near；
But the king has ta'en the matter into his own hand；
He has all I had： then； woman； sue to him；
I cannot help thee； thou must bear with me。
WOMAN。
Ah； gentle heart； my soul for thee is sad！
Farewell the best friend that the poor e'er had。
＇Exit Woman。＇
GENTLEMAN PORTER。
Before you enter through the Towergate；
Your upper garment； sir； belongs to me。
MORE。
Sir； you shall have it； there it is。
＇He gives him his cap。＇
GENTLEMAN PORTER。
The upmost on your back； sir； you mistake me。
MORE。
Sir； now I understand ye very well：
But that you name my back；
Sure else my cap had been the uppermost。
SHREWSBURY。
Farewell； kind lord； God send us merry meeting！
MORE。
Amen； my lord。
SURREY。
Farewell； dear friend； I hope your safe return。
MORE。
My lord； and my dear fellow in the Muses；
Farewell； farewell； most noble poet。
LIEUTENANT。
Adieu； most honored lords。
＇Exeunt Lords。＇
MORE。
Fair prison； welcome； yet； methinks；
For thy fair building tis too foul a name。
Many a guilty soul； and many an innocent；
Have breathed their farewell to thy hollow rooms。
I oft have entered into thee this way；
Yet； I thank God； ne'er with a clear conscience
Than at this hour：
This is my comfort yet； how hard sore
My lodging prove； the cry of the poor suitor；
Fatherless orphan； or distressed widow；
Shall not disturb me in my quiet sleep。
On； then； a God's name； to our close abode！
God is as strong here as he is abroad。
＇Exeunt。＇
SCENE II。 More's House。
＇Enter Butler； Porter； and Horsekeeper several ways。＇
BUTLER。
Robin brewer； how now； man！ what cheer； what cheer？
BREWER。
Faith； Ned butler； sick of thy disease； and these our other fellows
here； Rafe horsekeeper and Giles porter； sad； sad； they say my lord
goes to his trial today。
HORSEKEEPER。
To it； man！ why； he is now at it； God send him well to speed！
PORTER。
Amen； even as i wish to mine own soul； so speed it with my
honorable lord and master； Sir Thomas More。
BUTLER。
I cannot tell； I have nothing to do with matters above my capacity；
but； as God judge me； if I might speak my mind； I think there lives
not a more harmless gentleman in the universal world。
BREWER。
Nor a wiser； nor a merrier； nor an honester； go to； I'll put that in
upon mine own knowledge。
PORTER。
Nay； and ye bait him his due of his housekeeping； hang ye all！ ye
have many Lord Chancellor's comes in debt at the year's end； and
for very housekeeping。
HORSEKEEPER。
Well； he was too good a lord for us； and therefore； I fear； God
himself will take him： but I'll be hanged； if ever I have such an
other service。
BREWER。
Soft； man； we are not discharged yet： my lord may come home
again； and all will be well。
BUTLER。
I much mistrust it； when they go to raining once； there's ever foul
weather for a great while after。 But soft； here comes Master
Gough and Master Catesby： now we shall hear more。
＇Enter Gough and Catesby with a paper。＇
HORSEKEEPER。
Before God； they are very sad；